Abstract:
This study explores the considerable therapeutic potential of plant-derived antimicrobial agents, focusing on honey—a natural substance produced by bees from flower nectar. Honey has a longstanding history as an antimicrobial therapy for burns and wounds. The objective of this research was to investigate the antimicrobial properties of honey and its specific impacts on the cell walls, membranes, and enzymes of various microorganisms, namely Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Trichophyton verrucosum, Trichophyton equinum, and Escherichia coli. The investigation employed the agar well diffusion method, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, and Escherichia coli subjected to honey concentrations of 100%, 80%, and 60% (v/v), and Trichophyton verrucosum and Trichophyton equinum tested exclusively at 100% honey concentration. Among these organisms, Escherichia coli exhibited the most pronounced inhibitory zones, measuring 29.0 mm, 27.0 mm, and 19.0 mm at 100%, 80%, and 60% concentrations, respectively. Bacillus subtilis displayed zones of inhibition measuring 15.0 mm, 1.0 mm, and 8.0 mm for the same concentrations, while Pseudomonas aeruginosa demonstrated the smallest inhibitory zones at 13.7 mm, 11.0 mm, and 6.3 mm. At full concentration, Trichophyton verrucosum and Trichophyton equinum showcased inhibition zones of 14.0 mm and 17.0 mm, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined as 10%, 80%, and 100% (v/v) for Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, correspondingly, while minimum bactericidal concentrations were established at 20% for Escherichia coli and 100% for Bacillus subtilis. Assessment after one and two hours of incubation unveiled protein leakage from E. coli, with values of 22.0 and 35.3 µg/ml, from Bacillus subtilis at 31.0 and 49.0 µg/ml, and from Pseudomonas aeruginosa at 49.7 and 60.0 µg/ml, respectively. Enzymatic inhibition studies demonstrated honey’s efficacy against treated cells compared to controls, as evidenced by inhibition zones of 11.0 and 14.0 mm for E. coli, 30.0 and 40.0 mm for Bacillus subtilis, and 31.7 and 45.0 mm for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Overall, the findings underline honey’s extensive antimicrobial activity spectrum and suggest its potential as an alternative therapy to antibiotics.
EVALUATION OF HONEY’S ANTIMICROBIAL ACTION ON MICROBIAL PATHOGENS TARGETING CELLS, MEMBRANES, AND ENZYMES, GET MORE, ACTUARIAL SCIENCE PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS
